Gihon

Gihon is the name given to two different water sources in the Bible. First, it is mentioned as one of the four rivers that flowed from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:13). The exact location of this river is unknown, and there is no further information provided about it in the biblical text. Second, Gihon is the name of a spring located near Jerusalem, which played a significant role in the city's water supply and in the anointing of King Solomon. It was at the Gihon spring that Solomon was anointed as king by the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan (1Ki.1.33, 38, 45). King Hezekiah later directed the waters of the Gihon spring through a tunnel to the west side of the City of David, ensuring a reliable water supply for Jerusalem during times of siege (2Ch.32.30). King Manasseh, Hezekiah's son, built a wall outside the City of David, extending it to the west of the Gihon spring (2Ch.33.14). The Gihon spring's location and its importance for Jerusalem's water supply make it a significant site in the city's history and in the narratives of the Israelite monarchy.